


Night Vale's First Ever Scientist

by lesbianoodle



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Human, Everyone Is Gay, M/M, Tattooed Cecil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-30 10:36:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8529793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianoodle/pseuds/lesbianoodle
Summary: "A student in Carlos's class even puts their hand up during class and asks him how long he's been dating the guy from the tattoo place. Carlos just informs them it isn't a valid question about science and hopes none of the students notice how pink his face has turned."





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aleph_Null](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleph_Null/gifts), [PageofD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PageofD/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Pins and Needles](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8468362) by [Aleph_Null](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleph_Null/pseuds/Aleph_Null), [PageofD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PageofD/pseuds/PageofD). 



> Okay but first, consider this: I tried. 
> 
> Secondly, I'm sick so who even knows when chapter two will be here??? 
> 
> Thirdly, Americans have three-ring binders right?? I hope so.

"You've never done this before?" The man's eyebrow quirks upwards, just enough to be noticeable, as he dabs something cold and wet over Carlos's arm. 

Carlos doesn't dare spare a glance at what the man is doing, keeping his eyes locked firmly on the wall, so that he doesn't accidentally catch sight of any needles nearby and freak out last minute. This isn't the first time he's thought a tattoo would be a good idea but it's the first time he's ever gotten as close as sitting in front of a professional with the money already tucked into his back pocket. He's really going to go through with it, this time. 

_Sorry, Mom._ Carlos thinks, the nail of his index finger digging into the skin of his thumbnail nervously. It's a habit he's had since he was a little boy and his mother first dropped him off at kindergarten. As long as he can keep it under control, the habit is almost harmless. 

"Y-yeah." He managed to stammer out, his eyes still skating over the surprisingly clean purple wall directly across from him. Honestly, so far, he's been surprised at how clean and professional this place has been compared to the ones he's run away from in the past. It's not grimy and it doesn't smell like chain smoking. It's in a really nice area. And the staff here are incredibly charming, especially the man standing next to him. 

"It's Carlos, isn't it?" The man says, "Carlos the Scientist." 

"Uh... That's what people have been calling me, yes." Carlos agrees. When he agreed to move to Night Vale for the chance to be the science professor at their community college, he wasn't expecting the place to be so- to put it bluntly- weird. It's one of those small towns where everybody knows each other and word of a new person from out of town spreads fast. He even heard the local radio station discussing him and, for some reason, his hair. 

"Your hair is beautiful." The man says and for the first time since he arrived, Carlos actually looks up and meets his eye. Standing over him is a man with soft dark eyes and enough pictures covering his skin to rival a major art gallery- the tattoos were weird but Carlos got the feeling there was a deeper meaning to them that he didn't quite understand. He almost wanted to ask about them but he didn't dare, not wanting to be rude. The man is dressed smartly, which is surprising for some reason, but he has the softest smile Carlos has ever seen. 

"Thank you." Carlos touches his hair self-consciously. 

Again, the man smiles at him and Carlos can feel his face burning incredibly hot. He swears that he's on the verge of melting into a puddle on the floor, when a needle suddenly pricks his arm and Carlos bites down on his tongue by mistake. His eyes swell with tears but he doesn't dare open his mouth, for fear that he'll start crying or something similar. 

The man has to tell Carlos to lean back a little so that he can get a better look at what he's doing. Obligingly, Carlos leans back and lets the man do his work. It hurts a little but he just grits his teeth and hopes he'll get used to the feeling eventually. Needless to say, he doesn't. 

"You'll be okay, perfect Carlos." The man tells him, apparently capable of concentrating on two things at the same time, "I promise. I have done this a little less than a million times before and nobody has ever been the opposite of okay." Concern filters into his voice suddenly, "You're paler than the moon. Are you feeling alright?" 

"Just feeling a little..." Carlos trails off, searching for a word. 

"Breathe." The man assures him, "It's not going to take much longer now." 

"Sure, okay." He nods, obediently. 

Taking a few shallow breaths, Carlos opens his eyes and stares at the man instead of the wall. The man is, in fact, much more fascinating to stare at than the wall; Carlos spends at least five minutes just staring at the crescent moon that curls around his collarbone, completely fascinated by the sight of it. But once he's finally got his breathing back to normal and managed to calm down, the man is finally finishing up. Carlos has survived. 

"Do you need to lie down?" The man asks, as he bandages the tattoo. 

Carlos shakes his head, feeling a little bit woozy but definitely on some kind of bizarre high. He guesses it's the feeling of doing something so exhilarating for the first time in his life or it's from the needle- he's never been great with needles. Well, he's okay with handling needles, but not with other people sticking them in his skin. 

"You did great, Carlos." The man helps him to his feet and Carlos blinks at where the bandage is wrapped around the part of his arm just below his elbow. He can't see the design on the inside of his arm but he knows that it's there and he couldn't be more excited. 

"Thanks." Carlos realises this man has done nothing but pay him compliments since he got here and he can't help feeling embarrassed and slightly awkward. 

Before he leaves, he thanks the man for his work and there's another incredibly awkward moment between them. The man tries to kiss Carlos on the cheek or hug him or something equally intimate but Carlos sticks out his hand quickly for him to shake. The man clasps his hand between both of his and shakes it, smiling at him. He doesn't look put-off or embarrassed at all by the encounter, which Carlos is impressed by. 

Then, Carlos leaves before he can be anymore awkward in front of the attractive man. 

Needless to say, that's not the last time that Carlos sees the man around Night Vale; like he mentioned before, it's not the hugest town in the world, and everybody there seems close. Like family, almost. Carlos spends most of time in the community college, which has a surprising amount of eager students, and the rest of his time answering questions from residents in the town. From the sounds of things, none of them have ever met a real scientist before and he's surprised that his popularity soars a few weeks after he's been living in Night Vale a few weeks. 

_"What exactly is the point of the moon?"_

_"What colour are mirrors? How can you tell?"_

_"Why do clouds exist?"_ are just a few of the questions he receives during his first month. 

He supposes that it helps his popularity that the man on the radio praises him constantly- Carlos really must find out who that man is and why he likes Carlos so much- but it means that he's very busy. He doesn't have too much time to even think about the man in the tattoo shop. 

"Beautiful Carlos, wait up." Oh, and Carlos has been dealing with something other than science recently. The tattooist and the radio host aren't the only men who have been complimenting Carlos. There's another man- a third man- who has taken to following Carlos home from the lab everyday and if Carlos is going to be honest... He finds him a little creepy. 

"Kevin... Hi." Carlos manages, trying not to make eye contact with the man, as he continues down the sidewalk with his hands stuck into the pockets of his labcoat. He knows from past experience if he lets his hands hang at his sides, Kevin will try and grab them. 

"Hello, Carlos." Kevin is a man with some... Rather extreme piercings and tattoos. As open-minded as Carlos tries to be, he really struggles to get past the man's frightening appearance and if that wasn't enough, something about Kevin is just plain unnerving. Carlos really tries to avoid him whenever he can. 

"Hey." Carlos keeps his eyes fixed directly ahead, "Did... How... You went to work today?" 

"Yes, I did. Let me tell you _all_ about it." Kevin grins, showing far too many pointed teeth, and Carlos edges away as little as he can without the other man noticing. 

Kevin walks him all the way home, talking non-stop so that Carlos only has to offer a nod or a "mhm-hmm" every time he pauses for breath, and waves him inside. When he's inside, Carlos drops the stack of papers he has to mark on his desk and runs both hands through his hair. He's never taught science before and he really didn't have any idea what to expect from it when he took up the job here; but he wasn't expecting the job to take up so much of his time. Well, the papers can wait to be marked, while he takes a break for five minutes. 

Carlos shuffles through a few of the papers, rubbing at his temples, and wonders why he's been in such a downward slump this week. Maybe he needs a change. He considers it as he begins to mark the paper of an exceptionally bright student, finding a red pen lodged in the pocket of his lab coat and scanning the page. A change might be what he needs to switch things up around here for a little while- but what exactly? 

"Hmmm..." One thing's for sure, he definitely can't cut his hair again. Last week, he had it cut just a few inches shorter and before he had even blinked, the entire town had been outraged about it. Carlos still wasn't entirely sure why. But the man on the radio was throughly upset by it and Carlos isn't sure he wants to risk upsetting everybody again. 

He needs to do something different, something that won't upset anybody else. 

And that's how- a week later, in hopes of brightening things up around here- he finds himself walking back through the door of the tattoo place and staring at the back of the man. The man- the same one who did Carlos's last tattoo- is humming an unfamiliar tune to himself and typing something up on his phone. Business must be slow today because nobody's here. 

The bell jingles as Carlos pushes the door open and steps inside, causing the man to turn around. His face positively lights up at the sight of Carlos, his eyes brightening and his incredibly white teeth showing when he smiles, like he's glad to see him back. 

"Um, hey?" Carlos walks over to him, ignoring the squeak of his sneakers against the shiny floor, "I know it's only been a few weeks but I'm thinking of getting something new. Not right now- I just came here to get some ideas and I thought you might be able to help." 

If it was possible for the man's smile smile to widen anymore, it did so. 

"Yes, of course, Carlos. I'd be happy to help you." The man tucks his phone into the chest pocket of his shirt, "I was actually hoping that you would come back. I didn't manage to get your phone number last time. You know, for business reasons." 

"Why would you need to call me?" Carlos asks.

The man shrugs at him. "Like I said, business reasons. Nothing personal. Unless you want it to be personal-" He cuts himself off quickly, "You know what? Let's take a look at some the designs I have and see what kind of thing you're interested in." 

"Sure. Let's do that." Carlos follows him obediently across the room and the man pulls out a stack of binders- the kind that Carlos is used to keeping scientific notes inside- full of drawings. Carefully, Carlos opens the one on top and flicks through a few of the pages. It takes him a whole minute to realise that every single one of the intricate designs is actually hand-drawn with extreme care. He wonders if the man drew every single one of these. 

"I think I should have something science-y somewhere." The man is flicking through a purple binder covered in stickers, "I wasn't thinking of you when I drew it. It's just a coincidence." Carlos swears he sees him blushing but he can't tell, "This one. Here." 

The man slides the binder over to him and Carlos smiles. 

"You weren't thinking of me?"

"Not at all. Why would you think that?" 

"It has my name written next to it." Carlos points out and the man definitely blushes this time, his cheeks turning dark and a grin spreading across his face but he denies it anyway. Despite the fact "CARLOS THE SCIENTIST" is written next to it in scratchy pen. 

True to his word, Carlos doesn't get the tattoo then but instead comes back two weeks later. 

Since then, he has definitely started to notice the man around town a lot more and in a lot more detail. Before, he would simply notice the man in a crowd of people and maybe nod to him. Now, he notices that the man is normally alone with headphones hanging around his neck or a notebook in his hand. Frequently, Carlos sees him scribbling in a notebook. And instead of just nodding to each other, they exchange hellos and sometimes small talk. Once the man tells Carlos that he's heading over to see his sister and talks about his niece for a solid five minutes before they part ways. Carlos realises that talking to him... Makes him happy. 

A student in Carlos's class even puts their hand up during class and asks him how long he's been dating the guy from the tattoo place. Carlos just informs them it isn't a valid question about science and hopes none of the students notice how pink his face has turned. 

"Well, if it isn't my favourite scientist..." The man smiles, when Carlos returns, "Of course, that's a rhetorical question because you are, in fact, the only scientist I've ever met. Which makes you my favourite but also my least favourite." 

"Hasn't Night Vale ever seen a scientist before? Seriously?" Carlos says, accepting the brief hug from the man without feeling incredibly awkward- just a little bit awkward. The man just wraps his arms around his neck for a second, touches his back gently, before withdrawing. 

"People rarely move here." The man informs him, "You must be the first person to move in here in years. People get excited to see a new face. Especially one as pretty as yours." 

"Oh. Uh, thanks." Carlos follows the man to the same chair that he sat in last time and sits down, feeling instantly shorter next to the other man- he was already significantly shorter and now it feels like the man is standing over him. 

"Should we get started?" The man has been preparing for this all day, that much is obvious, "Would you like me to explain how it's going to work again?" 

"Yes, please." Carlos says because the man's voice is luxurious to listen to. 

The man's voice is the kind of magical voice that should either read an audiobook or narrate a relaxation podcast. Honestly, Carlos is so hypnotised that he doesn't process a single word the man says as he sterilises his needles and retrieves the neatly drawn stencil from where it's been stuck up on the noticeboard all week. As if it's news. And then, it's time and Carlos sucks in air to swallow his nerves. It's his second time and he's nowhere near as panicked as the first but he's still freaking out more than a normal person probably would. 

_Sorry, Mom._ Carlos thinks, just like last time, and thinks that he'll definitely have to wear a long-sleeved shirt the next time he sees her. 

There's something weirdly intimate about the man working on his arm. It might be because Carlos, still perturbed by the needle but no longer scared to look, keeps leaning forward curiously to see what the man is doing. Every time he does so, his hair falls forward and blocks the other man's sight. It can't make the man's job very easy but he doesn't seem to mind too much, just playfully teasing Carlos about what could happen if he didn't sit still. 

Outline finished, the man is just about to continue, when the door swings open. 

"Oh, Cecil!" sings a familiar voice and Carlos tenses. His hand grips the arm of the chair so tightly that he swears he almost rips it off. Why, of all the people, of all the places, of all the people that could have walked through that door, why does it have to be-

"Kevin." The man, who's name must be Cecil, replies in a polite but rather flat way. It's curious, like all the air has suddenly been sucked out of him, and the light in his eyes dulls a little. Cecil looks tired, as if he's been dealing with Kevin his whole life. 

"Carlos." Kevin spots him and his pointed teeth reveal themselves, "Oh my word, I had absolutely no idea that you had already met my twin brother. And I had no idea that you two were already so intimate. How wonderful is that?"

He's gritting his teeth; it doesn't sound like Kevin thinks it is wonderful at all.

"We're not currently intimate, Kevin." Cecil explains, "He just paid me for a tattoo. It's only an intimate activity if the mood is right and both parties are comfortable with intimacy." 

The mood had been right before Kevin had arrived. 

"If he wanted a tattoo, he should have come to me..." Kevin points at, his voice still bright despite the sharp edge to it, "But it's understandable why he'd come to you first. I have no doubts that he's attracted to you, Cecil. But he won't be once I'm through with him." 

"Threats count as bad behaviour, Kevin." Cecil says, nonchalantly, before turning back to Carlos. 

For some reason, Carlos feels a far less comfortable with Kevin watching from the doorway; just that set of artificially dark eyes being fixed on him is enough to make him feel him on edge. He can only hope that Kevin doesn't come over and try to comfort him or something. Eventually, Kevin drops the envelope he came to deliver on the desk in the corner and slinks out of the room, looking as happy as ever. But there's something hidden behind the smile. 

"I apologise for Kevin." Cecil says, as he works, "He's a rather odd person, I can understand that. Honestly, I make a lot of exceptions for him but the way he treats other people can be disgusting sometimes. His court-ordered therapist is very worried about him." 

Carlos nods and he doesn't really want to ask any further questions.

"I didn't know you had a twin. I didn't know _he_ was your twin." He says, instead.

After seeing the men side-by-side, he admits that he can see a resemblance buried somewhere. They have reasonably similar faces and bodies, underneath it all, but they've both done so much to alter their appearances that it's hard to see. Kevin has some severe body modifications and some piercings in interesting places, not to mention his eyes being like empty voids. Cecil has more tattoos and hair so white that it can't be natural. Carlos would be able to tell they were brothers, perhaps, but not twins. 

"You don't know much about me, Carlos." Cecil reminds him, "For a scientist, you don't ask a lot of questions. For example, you never asked what my name is. You didn't ask me what my zodiac sign is. You didn't ask me if I was available for dinner next week." 

"W-what?" Carlos stammers, "You want me to ask you out?"

"Is that such a crazy idea, Carlos?" Cecil quirks an eyebrow. 

"A little bit, yeah." Carlos replies, "Um, do you like Big Rico's?" 

Cecil smiles at him. "I'm free Tuesday night."


End file.
